


doctor's orders

by ebotzer0 (drowsycomfort)



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Bad Flirting, First Meetings, Flirting, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Minor Injuries, Multi, POV Second Person, thats u!, zane flirts with the cute doctor of sanctuary 111
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 01:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22007572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drowsycomfort/pseuds/ebotzer0
Summary: there might be more? idk i like zane a lot dude. such a good hearted man.also ive never really gotten the hang of 2nd pov so im practicing here :D
Relationships: Zane Flynt/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	doctor's orders

You weren’t meant to be Sanctuary III’s alternate doctor. It was meant to be Patricia Tannis—the woman with an actual medical degree. Since she had her hands full with that Eridian business, you slowly found yourself taking over the little infirmary. So much so that the crew and even Lilith herself began to call you  _ Doc _ . An endearing nickname; one that you didn’t mind at all.

A lot of your practices were...well, they were far from being neat. You were used to the way life on Pandora could be. The fast pace, the need to use whatever sterile (or as close to sterile) supply you could use for each wound. The overall  _ mess _ of many procedures. That was what you were used to. Tannis’ medical wing was messy to outsiders but you knew well enough that she kept it a scattered mess. You were afraid of letting a single thing out of place, afraid of touching  _ anything _ even as you did your procedures, but after a few weeks you managed to understand how to keep the lab the way she likes.

While not everything is working the way it should. Lilith having lost her Siren powers and the Calypso twins seem to be five steps ahead of the current Vault Hunters. Even with the pile of bad news slowly growing, you liked to look at the silver lining of things. You have a real place to call home. You were surrounded by people who you were starting to see as family. All in all, life was starting to look better. Even if the end of the world was slowly coming.

Oddly enough, despite their current profession, the Vault Hunters have never stopped by the infirmary. At least, not while you were around (which was rare but Tannis had days where she had to shoo you out of the room, more or less for her mental sake).

You hear the telltale noise of the entrance door sliding open, prompting you to turn on your heel to face yet another incoming customer. There weren’t a lot of things to hurt people on the ship but it still surprises you the number of injuries you’ve had to patch up.

“Welcome, how can I help—” You stop abruptly, realizing who it was that stopped by. It was the Vault Hunters—at least, two of the four on board this ship. One is a woman with dark skin and a hell of a body, proudly showing off her abs. Though, the most eye catching feature about her were the very clear Siren markings on her left arm. Beautiful blue swirls that travel up her arm and around. 

On her side, who she’s very clearly helping up is an old man. His hair is snowy white, far too white to seem possible. He only had one good eye, the other seemed like some mix of a cybernetic eye and an eyepatch though it seemed to really fit him well. It only took one glance from you to realize that this man was the one that needed medical attention.

Your mouth dried at the mere sight of the two very obviously attractive individuals. Tannis was away today, leaving the Infirmary in your care while she tended to important matters at the bridge. For once in your life, you wishes she was here. She could be a bit brash with words but her presence would’ve been greatly appreciated now.

“I told you, I could’ve walked here myself.” The man says, voice thick with an accent you couldn’t quite place. It surely wasn’t one you heard of before. The woman merely rolls her eyes, it wasn’t the first time they’ve argued this it seems.

“And let you break your ankle even more?” The woman retorts, clean and simple. Her tongue is a little stiff with an accent, though not as notable as the other man. You couldn’t help but stare at awe—these were the Vault Hunters. They were the only ones standing between those damned Calypso twins from ending the whole galaxy.

“And I told ya already, it ain’t broken—” His sentence is cut short with a sharp breath as he leans just a little too much on one ankle. That was enough to bring you back from your thoughts, quickly reaching out to guide the man onto the side room with the two medical beds. The woman helps him up on it and he settles down with a slight grunt.

“I-It’s nice to finally meet you two.” You finally say, a little breathlessly. Being around the two Vault Hunters filled you with awe. They weren’t what you expected but the two had an air to them. Something that made the hair stand at the back of your neck. You couldn’t quite place it but it felt…  _ powerful _ . The woman makes an amused noise, airy and it only makes you flush a little.

She introduces herself, Amara, and the man in tow was named Zane.

“So, I heard you have a broken ankle?” You question after briefly introducing yourself as well.

It was...a little amusing. Though you suppose anything could happen to anybody. Even people as amazing as Vault Hunters could slip up and get themselves a broken bone. Especially with their line of work. It didn’t help stop the amused curl of your lips however, eyes peeking through your lashes to meet the man’s gaze.

“Not a broken ankle, Doc. I’d know a broken ankle from a mile away.” He responds smoothly. He doesn’t shift his gaze either, lips curling to a charming grin. You resist the urge to roll your eyes, though Amara does it for you. She does so with an aggravated sigh for additional effect.

“I’ll leave him to your care.” Amara says before excusing herself to leave the two alone. Another wave of anxiety washes over you, being alone with someone like him. He was, very obviously attractive. Older, yes, but you knew a looker when you saw one. You had half a mind to ask whether all Vault Hunters come pretty but decide it probably wasn’t the time or place for such a question.

“I can make sure your ankle is fine, then. Seeing your reaction earlier, it could just be a sprain.” You explain, falling down on your knees to be on level with his ankle. “Um...do you mind?”

“None at all, darlin’.” Zane basically purrs in response, leaning back to let you do your work. You chalk up the heat forming in your cheeks from the fact that the infirmary tended to get hot from time to time, definitely  _ not _ because of the nickname coming from your lips. Your hands are a little shaky, but you do have a job to do. You gently pull his pant leg up, pulling his shoe and socks off gently so as to not bother his ankle in any way.

It didn’t look broken. Swollen to hell and—you brush your thumb lightly on the swell, hearing Zane’s breath hitch a bit—tender to the touch. 

You’re far too preoccupied with mending his ankle to notice the man’s appreciating gaze towards your figure. As stupid as it were, Zane felt a stab of regret for not stopping by sooner. Had he known that Sanctuary III had such a pretty doctor, he wouldn’t have argued so much about coming here earlier. 

“It’s just a sprain, at least.” You conclude, standing back up to your feet. “Do you mind laying back? I’ll fix your ankle up.”

He shakes his head, slowly lifting his feet up on the bed and laying back as directed. You walk back towards the main room of the infirmary, getting the necessary supplies to fix up a sprained ankle. It wasn’t as bad as some of the other sprains and broken ankles you’ve fixed up before. There was one time some drunken patron stumbled out from Moxxi’s bar and fell through one of the dangerous cracks of Sanctuary III. You nearly passed out yourself from seeing the awful twist of  _ that _ poor bastard’s ankle.

“You’re probably wonderin’ how I messed my ankle up…” Zane begins, as you rummage through the lockers. His voice is loud, filling in the empty silence of the infirmary. You peek out from the open locker, meeting his gaze with a slight chuckle. There was a mischievous twinkle to his eye, one that seemed to fit him perfectly.

“A bit, yes.” You admit easily. “Not to be mean but it’s a  _ little _ amusing to hear a sprain put a Vault Hunter out of commission.”

“Yes, well, you can laugh, I promise you won’t break this old man’s heart.” He draws a cross on his heart with a finger, the tone of his voice is clearly a jest. Zane begins with his story.

“Well, actually, there is nothing to it. Just a mere slip down a cliff.” He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, like he didn’t just tell you the most outrageous story ever. Someone once tripped  _ up _ the stairs of Sanctuary III and came around with even worse injuries. “Really nothing to worry your pretty little head with.”

“Haven’t you heard it’s bad to lie to your doctor?” You ask, despite the obvious heat crawling up to your cheeks. You hoped that it didn’t come to his attention, though the cock of his eyebrow and the smug smirk says otherwise.

“Not a lie. Swear on my life, Doc.” Perhaps it was his endearing accent, or his very obvious charms, but you kind of believed him, truth to be told.

You make a noise of amusement, pulling up one of the rolling stools over at the edge of his bed to settle on it. “It isn’t too bad, at least. Maybe five days, if you’re kind to ankle that is.”

“Only five days?”

You hum lightly, beginning to mend his sprain. As you slowly wrap his ankle around with elastic gauze, you take that moment to meet his gaze once more. It was a...precarious position. Not one that you would’ve thought twice about with any other patients. He holds your gaze with his own, the mood easing up as he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively to you.

You breathe out a laugh, not quite expecting it from him. If he hadn’t been blatantly flirting with you the past few minutes, you would’ve saved the topic for another time, but alas, you’re filled with a sense of courage.

“I’m starting to wonder if every Vault Hunter from Pandora come pretty, or if Sanctuary III just got lucky.”

He chuckles, low and deep, very obviously amused. “ _ Every _ Vault Hunter, eh?”

You nod, with your own mischievous glint in your eyes. You finish setting his ankle right but stay seated at the end of his bed. Your heart is basically pounding right out your chest, romance was a concept that wasn’t too entirely rare for you. You’ve had your fair share of romantic partners after all but  _ hell _ , if it didn’t consume your entire body everytime it did come around. “Every Vault Hunter.” 

Zane opens his mouth to say more but his sentence is cut off by yet another entrance in the Infirmary. It’s Tannis this time, looking nonchalant as she steps inside the room to flitter about her work station. She doesn’t seem to notice the two of you until she’s fully facing you both. The official doctor makes a bit of a surprised noise.

“Oh, I didn’t expect the two of you to be here.” She says curtly, approaching Zane’s figure on the bed. Tannis eyes his ankle, poking it lightly to hear Zane wince. “Is this the Vault Hunter that fell off a cliff? You were...smart, I suppose, for switching places with your digi-clone, that is.”

You cock an eyebrow. So, he was technically lying. An odd mix of a lie and the truth. It was satisfying to finally hear the full truth, even if it had to come from Tannis. Zane could only smile sheepishly, having been caught with his lie.

And of course, leave it to Tannis and her obvious lack of social understandings to interrupt this moment. If there ever  _ was _ a moment. You really hope that whatever it was he felt it too.

“Well? Unless you’re dying of internal wounds, you may leave. Surely [Name] here is busy with...whatever it is they do.” Tannis basically shoos a limping Zane out of the infirmary.

“Um… I’ll see you later then, Vault Hunter.” You chuckle raising a hand to wave him goodbye. “Don’t forget to ice your ankle.”

“Of course, doctor’s orders.” Zane winks, before finally leaving as Tannis ordered.

**Author's Note:**

> there might be more? idk i like zane a lot dude. such a good hearted man.
> 
> also ive never really gotten the hang of 2nd pov so im practicing here :D


End file.
